Shovels are used for displacing materials from one location to another. A shovel has the ability to quickly displace material without requiring the user to touch the material. A quantity of material is generally scooped up by a shovel and then released in a different location. Shovels can be used to displace a wide variety of materials including dirt, snow, etc.
Shovels include two primary components, a blade and a shaft. The blade is the shovel component in which the material is gathered. Blades are often concave or rounded to facilitate retaining loose materials. The shaft is an elongated member which extends away from the blade a particular amount. The shaft provides an interface for a user and can be used to create a lever force when scooping up material. The shaft is also used to support the materials during transportation. The shaft may also include a handle region for a user's hand.
One particular type of shovel is a portable snow shovel. Skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers and other snow sport enthusiasts often carry portable snow shovels for a variety of purposes. One application for a portable snow shovel is for quickly removing snow from a buried person after an avalanche. Other applications include digging a snow pit, digging a shelter, building a snow structure, excavating a vehicle, etc. Portable snow shovels are designed to be low profile and light weight such that they can be carried during athletic activities or easily stored in small places.
A particularly useful feature of many portable snow shovels is the ability to collapse into a low profile configuration. This type of shovel includes both an expanded state for operation and a collapsed state for storage. In order to be low profile, various collapsing systems are utilized in conventional portable snow shovels. Most modern portable snow shovels utilize a disengagement system that allows the shaft to be disengaged from the blade. The shaft and blade can then be stored on top of one another as to minimize its dimension. Disengagement systems are undesirable because of the extra time necessary to reassemble the shaft and blade. In addition, the narrow shaft can easily slide out of a user's pack causing the shovel to become useless. Some portable snow shovels include a hinge or mechanism that allows the shaft to fold over the blade. These folding shovels must include a locking mechanism when folded into the expanded configuration to prevent undesirable folding. In addition, the hinge mechanism on a folding shovel is easily iced over during use, thereby preventing future folding.
Therefore, there is a need in the industry for a portable snow shovel that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.